This paper examines the adequacy of the current monetary system which acts as an actor towards global economic requirements, resulting in the outflow of resources from local economies. An overview of the main features of alternative currencie designed to prevent such occurences was presented. A breakdown has been made on their main appearances that differ in their purpose, domain of action and guiding principles. The review of the research literature shows the positive influence of this type of currencies on the development of local communities in the economic, social and ecological sense. In most of written history, people had been using a multitude of currencies as well as forms of complementary currencies which were gradually abolished by the introduction of national monetary sovereignty. In the modern age there are many initiatives, as well as very successful projects that coexist with the national currency. In this relatively unresearched phenomenon, the literature is mainly based on evaluations of practical examples and innovations on such examples. After examining examples of successful practices, a specific model of complementary currencies was proposed that would be applicable in the Zadar area and in the immediate vicinity. The model operates on a dual principle and consists of two forms of alternative currency exchange systems. The first is in the form of service credits that operates on a timeshare basis while the other consists of a local currency exchange system.